The National Highway Authority (NHA) is in charge of maintaining all of Pakistan’s highway infrastructure. It is dedicated to providing a transportation system that is state-of-the-art, risk-free, and effective.
In addition to serving as the fulcrum upon which the rest of the highway network rests, Pakistan’s National Highways are vital to the country’s transportation network, as they play a significant part in the growth of the country’s micro- and macro-economics, and contribute to the consolidation of the nation as a whole by fostering greater social and financial interdependence among the provinces.
Overview of National Highway Authority
The National Highway Authority (NHA) was established in 1991 by an Act of Parliament for the purpose of planning, developing, operating, repairing, and maintaining National Highways and Strategic Roads that were specifically entrusted to NHA by the Federal Government or by a Provincial Government or other concerned authorities.
The NHA is responsible for maintaining 39 national roads, motorways, and vital routes, which together span a total distance of 12,131 kilometres.
Although it only accounts for 4.6% of the entire national roadways network (or 263,775 kilometres), it transports 80% of the country’s commercial traffic, and the N-5, which is considered to be the country’s “bloodline,” carries 65% of this load.
History of National Highway Authority
In 1978, the Government of Pakistan (GoP) made the decision to federalize five significant interprovincial roads and rename them “National Highways.” At the same time, it established the National Highway Board to oversee the construction and maintenance of these federalized roads by the respective provincial highway departments.
The NHA is responsible for planning, developing, operating, repairing, and maintaining national highways and strategic roads. The total length of the federalized roads that are managed by NHA is now estimated to be 8,780 kilometres. These roads are responsible for 3% of the country’s total road network and 75% of its commercial road traffic.
Responsibilities of the National Highway Authority
- Programs for the construction, development, operation, repairs and maintenance of national highways/motorways and strategic roads need to be planned, promoted, organised, and put into effect, respectively.
- Provide the Federal Government with recommendations concerning issues concerning National Highways and Strategic Roads.
- Conceive a plan, or more than one plan, to address issues such as the construction, expansion, operation, and development of national highways and strategic roads, and then carry out the work and incur the costs associated with such a plan (s).
- Acquire any Land in accordance with the legal method and get and dispose of any movable or immovable property of interests therein.
- Acquire all of the necessary equipment, including plant and machinery, instruments, and materials, for its usage.
- Enter into and fulfil all such contracts as it may deem necessary in its sole discretion.
- Tolls must be levied, collected, or caused to be collected on all National Highways, Strategic Roads, and any other routes that may be entrusted to it, as well as any bridges that are located on those roads.
- Grant licences for use of facilities located on highways under its control, on terms that it determines to be appropriate.
- Determine a building line between it and the ROW, as it shall not be legal to construct or maintain any structure or perform any excavation without the authorisation of the Authority. This restriction applies to any work done between the building line and the ROW.
- Either case studies, surveys, experiments, and technical research to be carried out, or pay towards the expense of such studies, surveys, experiments, and technical research carried out by any other body.
Projects by National Highway Authority
Here is a list of projects run by the National Highway Authority in different provinces:
Balochistan
- Construction of Black Top Road Yakmach-Kharan Via Dostain Wad Khurmaqai. ( Yakmach – Kharan Road, Section-II).
- Construction of Black Top Road Yakmach-Kharan Via Dostain Wad Khurmaqai Section-III
- Construction of Black Top Road Yakmach-Kharan Via Dostain Wad Khurmaqai Section-IV
- Construction of Black Top Road Yakmach-Kharan Via Dostain Wad Khurmaqai Section-I
- Construction of Khuzdar-Shadadkot Section of Gawadar – Ratodero Road M-8 Section-IV
KPK
- Package-6 Rehabilitation of National Highway & Bridges FazilPur – D.I. Khan Lot-3 ramak – D.I. khan
- Construction of Hakla on M-I to Yarik D.I.Khan Motorway (CPEC) (Rehmani Khel to Kot Balian)
- Construction of Hakla on M-I to Yarik D.I.Khan Motorway (CPEC) (Yarak – Rahmani Khel)
- Dualization of old Bannu Road (Khurram to Krapa)
- Dualization of old Bannu Road (Domail to Khurram)
- Rehabilitation of Bahrain – Kalam Road N-95 (Bahrain – Chimgarh Section)
- Lowari Tunnel South Access Road N-45
- Rehabilitation of Bahrain – Kalam Road N-95 (Asrit – Pashmal )
- Rehabilitation of Bahrain – Kalam Road N-95 (Pashmal – Kalam )
- Rehabilitation of Bahrain – Kalam Road N-95 (Bridges Package)
- Peshawar Northern Bypass
- Lowari Tunnel North Access Road N-45
- Lowari Tunnel (Civil works Package-1) N-45
- Rehabilitation of Bahrain – Kalam Road N-95 (Chimgarh – Asrit)
- Construction of Thakot-Havelian Section (CPEC)
Punjab
- construction of Hakla on M-I to Yarik D.I.Khan Motorway (CPEC) (Pindi Gheb to Hakla)
- Construction of a 4-Lane Bridge Across the River Indus Linking Layyah with Taunsa
- Lahore Eastern Bypass
- Construction of Infrastructure and Allied work for Metro Bus Services (Peshawar Morr – Golra Morr)
- Construction of Infrastructure and Allied work for Metro Bus Services (Golra Morr – N-5 Interchange)
- Lahore Eastern Bypass Project (LEBP)
- Improvement and Widening of N-5 From Thokar Niaz Baig To Hudyiara Drain
- Construction of Faisalabad-Khanewal Motorway M-4
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